Mona Lisa Smile was set in the early 1950’s.In this movie Julia Roberts stars as Katherine Watson who had graduated recently from UCLA and was hired to teach Art History in a prestigious all-female Wellesley College. She accepted the job only to discover her students were in college to prepare themselves to become wives and mothers.
Katherine Watson was determined to make an impression and shake up their orderly lives, she began teaching the young women to rebel against their restraints, to think for themselves and to look further beyond their limitations .It is evident that times have really changed. Take education for instance, education for women in the pre World War 2, era was privileged to the rich and elite of the society whilst in the 21st century educating a woman is a priority, as a result, women have become more intelligent and ambitious with very high self esteem enabling them to compete with their male counterparts for top jobs that were previously mostly male dominated. The significance of choice cannot be under estimated .In relation to contraceptives and abortion, there is freedom of choice. Women have a choice to have their babies or not to have them depending on their circumstances. Some parts of the USA have actually legalized abortion. Women use contraceptives freely without any intimidation or fear being stigmatised as used to be the case in the 1950’s.The advent of technology has also brought considerable change into the lives of women, for example computers, cell phones, electric cookers and hot water systems, just to name a few. Keyboards have also made typewriters a thing of the past. Services like child care are invaluable to working mothers .Despite the foregoing, most women place a high priority on marriage, husbands, keeping house and raising children. Some women trade off career advancement and higher earnings ,for a job that offers flexibility to manage family responsibilities .It can be said without exaggeration that women are enslaved to the roles they play in the lives of their families, most women cannot leave home without feeling guilty about leaving their children alone. A woman’s life before the 1960’s had been difficult, they were denied basic rights, trapped in the home and discriminated against in the workplace. The redemption came in the 1960’s with the formation of the women’s liberation movements and other Feminist groups. These feminist movements championed the course of women for better employment and equal wages with their male counterparts, a woman’s right to vote just to name a few. Irrespective of all these struggles, women have placed their priorities with their families over their liberation,thus becoming financially and emotionally dependent on their spouses.
In view of these, most women have become victims of one form of abuse or the other,
ending up with miserable and unfufilled lives.The presence of men smoking cigars was a clear indication that the film was set in the 1950’s, it was the vogue for men of the elite society at the time.Wallpaper used in decorating the walls, the ‘Elizabethan’ clothes worn by the women, their hats, and the way they carried themselves portrayed the style of the 1950’s,the slide projector used by Katherine in class and the music also showed the style of the 1950's.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Thursday, September 6, 2007
JOURNAL WEEK 6/FEMINISM AND WOMEN SUFFRAGE
WOMEN’S STUDIES 1
JOURNAL –WEEK 6
FEMINISM AND THE SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT.
1) The word Feminism was first used in the year 1895.
2) The three waves of Feminism are:
v The first wave of Feminism refers to women’s campaigns for the vote between 1890 and 1920
v The second wave of Feminism refers to Women’s Liberation movement between 1965 and 1980
v The third wave of Feminism refers to what is happening now which is sometimes referred to as ‘empowerment’.
3) There are different types of Feminism and these are based on:
v Many ideas and movements.
v Some are revolutionary, seeking major changes to how society should be run.
v Some Feminists movements look for smaller more gradual change.
4) Personally, I would say gender differences in behaviour and interest come as a result of individual upbringing, influences through religion and culture. These issues become a way of life, which people hold on to about the roles of women and men.
Raising the Issues.
1) The Prophet Muhammad gave them a break from the past by decreeing that women had rights to divorce, child maintenance, and to inherit land and property. These rights were outlined in the holy book, the Qur’an and Islamic 89 laws. Even though women did not have equality with men, they had real legal rights that could be enforced by religious courts.
2) The Enlightenment was in 1650-1789.The philosophical changes in thinking that occurred were the questioning of religious beliefs, rather than religion, the enlightenment philosophers drew on reason, that is, rational and scientific ways of seeing the world. They also challenged the absolute power held by monarchs in society in which people’s social position was based on birth rather than merit,
So they looked at new and different ways of organizing society based upon individual merit. They talked about people’s rights, which included the freedom to think, believe and speak without fear of being punished. These laid the basis of our modern system of human rights.
3) The declaration of human rights brought by the American and French Revolutions were that all men were created equal and among these rights are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, despite this, women were excluded, they had few rights and were discriminated against in law, economically and socially.
4) Mary Wollstonecraft a writer argued that the new rights should also belong to women. Olympe de Gouges rewrote the declaration of rights of Man to include women.
5) The temperance movement campaigned against alcohol. Women were in support of this group because they agreed with the fact that men spent all their money on alcohol and this resulted in families going hungry, domestic violence and broken homes.
Campaigning for the Votes.
1) The social reform issues that could improve women’s lives were for better education and employment opportunities, to reform marriage, divorce and property laws and social equality
2) The term suffrage means the right to vote
3) The cartoon shows women as empty headed, interested in marriage, clothes and babies.
4) The arguments for women voting and participating in the political process was, as mothers and homemakers, women were for peace than war, they were more concerned with the weak than the powerful and these qualities were good for politics and government.
5) The anti-feminists also argued that allowing women to vote and be a part of the political process will be dangerous, it will destroy female purity, undermine male authority, create discord within families and finally lead to the disintegration of ordered society.
6) The Pankhurst sisters conducted their campaigns by using militant direct action campaigns.
7) The First World War forced feminists to choose between patriotism that is loyalty to their country and their international links.
8) The changes brought about by war to women’s lives as regards to work was; women stepped into the jobs men had left behind, for example in the area of production, public transport, public services and nursing.
The positive side of these was women were seen as more responsible, it broke down some of the prejudices about women’s abilities and place in society and led to a more positive approach by government.
On the negative side, women were paid much lower rates than men and most still had to cook, clean and care for the children.
Australian Suffragettes
1) The Australian Women’s Suffrage Society argued for equal justice, equal privilege in marriage and divorce, rights to property in marriage and divorce.
2) The Women’s Christian Temperance Union sought social reforms, which included establishing equal moral standards for both sexes.
3) The right to vote was granted to South Australian women in 1894 followed by Western Australia in 1899, then NSW in 1902 and finally Victoria in 1908.
4) The first wave of Feminists were concerned with suffrage and Temperance movements from 1890 to 1920.
5) The anti- suffragist movement portrayed women as absorbed with the trivial and the domestic and as, emotional, selfish, and bad mothers, they also augured that women were too emotional and lacked broader political vision
6) Women were ridiculed by way of quotes or cartoons. For example, women were cartooned jumping on seats whiles court was session because a man had intentionally shouted that there was a mouse in the room.[I HAVE THIS IN WORD DOCUMENT FOR SUBMISSION , THANKS]
JOURNAL –WEEK 6
FEMINISM AND THE SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT.
1) The word Feminism was first used in the year 1895.
2) The three waves of Feminism are:
v The first wave of Feminism refers to women’s campaigns for the vote between 1890 and 1920
v The second wave of Feminism refers to Women’s Liberation movement between 1965 and 1980
v The third wave of Feminism refers to what is happening now which is sometimes referred to as ‘empowerment’.
3) There are different types of Feminism and these are based on:
v Many ideas and movements.
v Some are revolutionary, seeking major changes to how society should be run.
v Some Feminists movements look for smaller more gradual change.
4) Personally, I would say gender differences in behaviour and interest come as a result of individual upbringing, influences through religion and culture. These issues become a way of life, which people hold on to about the roles of women and men.
Raising the Issues.
1) The Prophet Muhammad gave them a break from the past by decreeing that women had rights to divorce, child maintenance, and to inherit land and property. These rights were outlined in the holy book, the Qur’an and Islamic 89 laws. Even though women did not have equality with men, they had real legal rights that could be enforced by religious courts.
2) The Enlightenment was in 1650-1789.The philosophical changes in thinking that occurred were the questioning of religious beliefs, rather than religion, the enlightenment philosophers drew on reason, that is, rational and scientific ways of seeing the world. They also challenged the absolute power held by monarchs in society in which people’s social position was based on birth rather than merit,
So they looked at new and different ways of organizing society based upon individual merit. They talked about people’s rights, which included the freedom to think, believe and speak without fear of being punished. These laid the basis of our modern system of human rights.
3) The declaration of human rights brought by the American and French Revolutions were that all men were created equal and among these rights are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, despite this, women were excluded, they had few rights and were discriminated against in law, economically and socially.
4) Mary Wollstonecraft a writer argued that the new rights should also belong to women. Olympe de Gouges rewrote the declaration of rights of Man to include women.
5) The temperance movement campaigned against alcohol. Women were in support of this group because they agreed with the fact that men spent all their money on alcohol and this resulted in families going hungry, domestic violence and broken homes.
Campaigning for the Votes.
1) The social reform issues that could improve women’s lives were for better education and employment opportunities, to reform marriage, divorce and property laws and social equality
2) The term suffrage means the right to vote
3) The cartoon shows women as empty headed, interested in marriage, clothes and babies.
4) The arguments for women voting and participating in the political process was, as mothers and homemakers, women were for peace than war, they were more concerned with the weak than the powerful and these qualities were good for politics and government.
5) The anti-feminists also argued that allowing women to vote and be a part of the political process will be dangerous, it will destroy female purity, undermine male authority, create discord within families and finally lead to the disintegration of ordered society.
6) The Pankhurst sisters conducted their campaigns by using militant direct action campaigns.
7) The First World War forced feminists to choose between patriotism that is loyalty to their country and their international links.
8) The changes brought about by war to women’s lives as regards to work was; women stepped into the jobs men had left behind, for example in the area of production, public transport, public services and nursing.
The positive side of these was women were seen as more responsible, it broke down some of the prejudices about women’s abilities and place in society and led to a more positive approach by government.
On the negative side, women were paid much lower rates than men and most still had to cook, clean and care for the children.
Australian Suffragettes
1) The Australian Women’s Suffrage Society argued for equal justice, equal privilege in marriage and divorce, rights to property in marriage and divorce.
2) The Women’s Christian Temperance Union sought social reforms, which included establishing equal moral standards for both sexes.
3) The right to vote was granted to South Australian women in 1894 followed by Western Australia in 1899, then NSW in 1902 and finally Victoria in 1908.
4) The first wave of Feminists were concerned with suffrage and Temperance movements from 1890 to 1920.
5) The anti- suffragist movement portrayed women as absorbed with the trivial and the domestic and as, emotional, selfish, and bad mothers, they also augured that women were too emotional and lacked broader political vision
6) Women were ridiculed by way of quotes or cartoons. For example, women were cartooned jumping on seats whiles court was session because a man had intentionally shouted that there was a mouse in the room.[I HAVE THIS IN WORD DOCUMENT FOR SUBMISSION , THANKS]
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